With it being a true gateway to Agassiz-Harrison, the Agassiz-Rosedale Bridge is never far from the minds of residents, visitors and elected officials.
During her report, District Mayor Sylvia Pranger said officials continue to meet with provincial authorities on transportation issues along the Agassiz-Rosedale Bridge.
Both parties are in frequent communication about the bridge as residents and visitors alike continue to advocate for improvements to the bridge such as additional traffic lanes, bike lanes and a wider sidewalk for pedestrians. This may include Ministry of Transportation and Infrastrucutre (MOTI) officials joining in on Lets’emot Community to Community Forums. C2C forums gathers officials from the district, Harrison Hot Spring and the Cheam, Sto:lo, Sts’ailes, Seabird Island and Sq’ewlets First Nations to discuss wider government, social and infrastructure matters.
RELATED: Following grant announcement, fundraising for Kent aquatic centre set to begin
The last time the bridge was formally brought up in local meetings was from Lauren Mitchell, a concerned Popkum resident behind a Change.org petition that calls upon the province to widen, replace or twin the Agassiz-Rosedale Bridge in addition to adding suitable lanes for active transportation. To date, the petition has been signed nearly 880 times.
In other council business:
– District officials announced via the bi-weekly council highlights that a new off-leash dog park for small dogs is coming soon. It will be located across Morrow Road at the entrance of the Haig Highway Bypass trail.
– District officials met virtually with Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resource Operations Nathan Cullen to discuss the upcoming freshet and flood prevention measures.
– Mayor and council attended the retirement party of former director of engineering Mick Thiessen. Thiessen served the district for 16 years.
– Pranger thanked the local businesses and organizations that put together Let’s Connect Kent, a community event put on this past weekend to thank the community members for doing their parts to keep everyone safe from COVID-19.
RELATED: District of Kent to celebrate high vaccination rate
– Council voted in favour of proclaiming May 12 Moose Hide Campaign Day. The Moose Hide Campaign is a grassroots, Indigenous-led movement, standing up against violence against women and children.
– Council also approved a request to proclaim May 17 as International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, commemorating the World Health Organization’s 1990 decision to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder.
The next regular District of Kent Council meeting is scheduled for March 28 at 7 p.m. at Municipal Hall. Online attendance is also available via Microsoft Teams; those interested can register through kentbc.ca.